The Delhi High Court again put on hold Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy. The High Court said the trial court did not give adequate opportunity to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to put forth its arguments on not granting bail to Kejriwal, and that it didn't apply its mind during its judgment.
The bench said the trial court did not lay out the conditions for Kejriwal's release under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), under which the Chief Minister was charged in the case. "The trial court should not have given any finding, which is opposite to the finding of the High Court. The documents and arguments were not appreciated properly," the bench said.
On the interim bail granted to Kejriwal, the High Court said it was done as Kejriwal had to campaign for AAP in the Lok Sabha elections. It stated that the materials presented in front of the trial court judge were not considered properly.
"Once his plea challenging his arrest has been dismissed by the High Court, it cannot be said that his personal liberty was curtailed in violation of the law," it said, adding that the court considered arguments from the advocates of Kejriwal and ED.
On June 21, the Delhi High Court reserved after the ED challenged a lower court's decision to grant bail to Kejriwal and put it in abeyance until the pronouncement. The High Court paused the bail granted to Kejriwal on the agency's plea and said it would pronounce the order on June 25 (Tuesday).
